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Massive Afghan Attack. US Base Sacked. Dozens of GIs Dead. "Good for Obama"
The recent Jesse Jackson business got highly annoying with the punditry proclaiming it was good for Obama.
Will those same pundits now proclaim that today's "Massive Attack" as described by the wires in which a US Base was sacked and as many as a dozen GIs killed is good for Obama? Obviously not.
The drip of US casualties from Afghanistan and Iraq has been easy to ignore. Today's attack, which has been described as a response to last week's air strike that killed 15 civilians cannot be ignored.
Obama should careful when speaking of this later today or tomorrow. The pundits will try to put words in his mouth. Any hint of "I told you so" could backfire.
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Comments (5)
I recommend Kristof's column today:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/13/opinion/13kristof.html
Would love to see Obama include meeting with Lt. Col. Christopher Kolenda and Mr. Mortenson on his forthcoming trip to Aghanistan, start addng some specifics to his arguments about upping military support in Aghanistan after downsizing presence in Iraq. It's not like there's not support for this view at the Pentagon, there is, cited in the article (The Pentagon, which has a much better appreciation for the limits of military power than the Bush administration as a whole, placed large orders for “Three Cups of Tea” and invited Mr. Mortenson to speak.) It would contrast effectively with John McCain's of bullying is best, which, mho, has much to do with where we are today. Mr. Obama has said he wants more troops in Afghanistan, nows the time to start elucidating on what he'd like them to be doing there.
July 13, 2008 5:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
9 more GIs dead in Afghanistan today.
This should be at the top of the rec list.
Thanks
July 13, 2008 7:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Afghanistan may end up being as big an issue as Iraq.
It sounds very much as though we're getting out of Iraq, whoever's President. The Iraqis have started to drop hints.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan is teetering on the brink, and it doesn't seem likely that Karzai would do well if we left.
July 13, 2008 9:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
When I saw the wire reports early this afternoon of a US base being overrun and the two dozen casualties, including nine fatalities, with fighting continuing, I thought for sure this story would dominate the airwaves today and in to the week ahead. No more surrogates running their mouths, but rather McCain and Obama locked in a meaningful debate about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
But the network evening broadcasts ran with financial stories. CBS briefly crept away from their golf. Even TPM didn't register the impact of this seismic defeat for American forces with a sub headline.
Why is losing a battle so hard to report for American journalists? And how does the prospect of being bogged down in Afghanistan affect Obama's thinking?
July 13, 2008 9:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Finally TPM comes proper (24 hour later) and gives the Afghan attack prominent coverage.
Two dozen plus US casualties in a stinging defeat for US forces is significant and can't be left to parenthetical notes in other stories.
Thank you.
July 14, 2008 9:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
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